Menzies fine with reducing UNM rivalry to once a year

LAS CRUCES - If the New Mexico State Aggies had to play the New Mexico Lobos once a year, as opposed to twice during the college basketball regular season, head coach Marvin Menzies would be OK with it.

Menzies has said in the past that four total non-conference games against regional rivals New Mexico and UTEP wasn't ideal.

Menzies repeated that Tuesday when asked about the Mountain West implementing an 18-game conference season in 2013-14, and how it might affect scheduling purposes for the Lobos as it pertained to the in-state rivalry.

More league games could force the Lobos to reconsider scheduling the Aggies twice each season. The Mountain West will consist of 11 basketball-playing members for the 2013-14 season. UNM Athletics Director Paul Krebs told the Albuquerque Journal on Tuesday that it was premature to speculate how the reconfigured schedule would impact the annual two-game series against the Aggies.

NMSU and UNM have played each other twice a year since 1911.

"I don't like playing them twice right now anyway .... Regardless of the record I have against them, I wouldn't mind playing them twice if we didn't have UTEP also, that we have to play twice," said Menzies, who holds a 2-10 career record against the Lobos. "If we had a situation where we could play UTEP in a home and home (or) UNM in a home and home, and have two of the rivalry games a year, I think that's plenty. .... It's a little demanding emotionally on your players.

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There's just a lot that goes into those games."

Jason Groves can be reached at (575) 541-5459. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves